It’s official. Lottery prospect LaMelo Ball has officially listed his name for the 2020 NBA Draft.
The youngest of the famed Ball brood, who is expected to be a Top 3 pick come June, was part of the early-entry candidates distributed to teams on Tuesday, per NBA insider Shams Charania.
Sources: Potential top pick LaMelo Ball has declared for the 2020 NBA Draft. Ball was under “professional” category of early-entry candidates distributed to teams Tuesday night. Virtual pre-draft process can now begin with teams.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 29, 2020
Despite the controversial nature of his father LaVar, the 18-year-old LaMelo Ball has been lauded by scouts for possessing NBA-ready talent.
The 6-foot-7 combo guard has the height to succeed in the pro-level, while his decision making has also improved by leaps and bounds.
Contrary to his 2020 batchmates, Ball had a rather unorthodox route to the NBA. After a highly publicized high school career in Chino Hills, Ball left the program in his junior year to suit up for LaVar's Junior Basketball Association (JBA).
He briefly played for SPIRE Institute in Ohio to finish his high school career. The flashy guard then withdrew from his commitment to play for the UCLA Bruins.
Despite being considered a five-star college recruit, Ball opted to forego college basketball and played overseas with the Illawarra Hawks in Australia's National Basketball League.
His short but sweet tenure abroad paid dividends, as he won NBL Rookie of the Year after averaging 17 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists while shooting 37.7 percent from the field in 12 games.
Ball also teamed up with his brother LiAngelo in the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) for Prienai in 2017.
LaMelo's name is expected to be the first ones off the board in the 2020 Draft, alongside Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman, and Obi Toppin.
He recently signed with Jay Z’s ROC Nation for representation, together with his older brothers Lonzo and LiAngelo.
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